Day tanks are used to store a supply of fuel that is separate from a main fuel storage tank. The day tank has enough fuel stored therein to be able to supply fuel to, for example, a generator or a heater for at least a day. In some areas it may take a day to obtain a delivery of fuel to replenish the main fuel storage tank. In this situation, the day tank will be able to store enough fuel to power a generator or heater until a deliver is made to replenish the main fuel storage tank.
It is also known that some establishments generate waste oil and the waste oil is used to fuel generators or heaters. Use of waste oil helps in reducing energy costs. For example, waste oil is stored in a main storage tank and is pumped to a day tank to supply a generator or a heater. Instead of having to purchase fuel or electricity, the waste oil is used to fuel a generator or a heater. In this manner, energy costs are saved or reduced.
The day tank may have one or more threaded openings in the top of the tank. One of the openings may be a 2 inch diameter bung hole opening that is used to fill or empty the container. Another one of the openings may be a ¾ inch diameter bung hole opening used for ventilation of the contents of the tank. Over time, the contents of the day tank are emptied and it is important to know when the day tank has reached a low level condition to pump or transfer waste oil from the main storage tank to the day tank to refill the day tank. It is also desirable to know when the day tank has been filled to an upper level condition to shutoff a pump device that is pumping waste oil from the mail storage tank to the day tank. It is extremely important to avoid an overflow condition where waste oil could exit out of the day tank and contaminant any surrounding area. Cleaning up spilled waste oil can be expensive and should be avoided.
In order to determine the level of the contents within the day tank, various gauges have been used. For example, a float device may be inserted into the tank to determine the level of liquid contents. A stick gauge may also be inserted into the tank to determine the level of the contents within the tank. However, such gauges do not provide any warning or indication as to when the contents of the tank reaches a critical level. Also, none of these devices is capable of controlling the pumping of waste oil from the main storage tank to the day tank. Further, these devices do not assist in avoiding an overflow condition.
The present disclosure is designed to obviate and overcome many of the disadvantages and shortcomings experienced with prior devices for determining a level of liquid in a day tank and for controlling operation of a pump that transfers waste oil from a main storage tank to a day tank. Moreover, the present disclosure is related to a tank monitor control device that can determine when the tank will be empty, full, or at an overflow condition.